20th Century Fox CEO Tom Rothman Says They Hope to Release RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Sequel in Summer 2014

Director Rupert Wyatt delivered a surprise hit with last summer’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The franchise had been in cold storage since the atrocious Tim Burton remake but Fox decided to give the Apes another chance, and it paid off wonderfully (even though the film was flat-out robbed of the Best Visual Effects Oscar). Although James Franco was the name on the marquee, the prequel made Caesar (Andy Serkis) the real star and Weta’s special effects geniuses helped bring the character to life.

Last November, we reported that 20th Century Fox was planning multiple sequels to the successful blockbuster with Wyatt and Serkis slated to return. Steve recently interviewed the studio’s CEO, Tom Rothman, and learned that they’re hoping to get the next movie in theaters by summer 2014. Hit the jump for more.

Speaking to Steve at CinemaCon, Rothman said the studio is developing a script and “pushing forward aggressively.” He stated that while they don’t want to release the movie until they’re satisfied with the final product, they’re eying summer of 2014 for a release date if they can make it.

Other studios have begun locking in their 2014 release dates. Marvel’s got Captain America 2 and an untitled feature, Pixar has The Good Dinosaur, Sony’s planning to release The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Paramount has staked out a date for Transformers 4. Fox currently doesn’t have any movies firmly set for the summer of 2014, but I’m sure audiences would be happy to see the next chapter in the Planet of the Apes series as soon as possible.

Here’s the transcript of Rothman’s conversation with Steve regarding the Rise of the Planet of the Apes sequel:

I loved Rise of the Planet of the Apes. What’s the status of the sequel?

Rothman: That’s very much on the tracks. We’re developing a script. Rupert Wyatt, who directed the first one, will direct the second one. We’re pushing forward aggressively, so the script’s being written now.

Do you have an idea of a time frame you’d like to release it?

Rothman: Yeah, I think it would make sense if we can, you know we serve no wine before it’s time, but the goal for us would be summer of 2014, if that’s possible.

If you needed a reminder of the incredible visual effects work and Serkis’ brilliant performance, check out the video below: